The present invention relates to portable cellular or wireless telephones, and more particularly, to a device for reducing radiation to a user of a cellular telephone.
Cellular telephones have recently exploded onto the marketplace for a number of reasons, such as availability of better cellular reception and more expansive coverage areas, lower prices, smaller telephones and more competition. Hand-held cellular telephones, once considered a luxury, have now become a business and personal necessity. It is estimated that more than 500 million people worldwide use mobile telephones.
However, cellular telephones emit electromagnetic radiation. When a portable cellular telephone is positioned close to a person""s ear during communication, electromagnetic radiation from the antenna is directed toward the user""s head. For example, tests were performed by the inventors herein with the electromagnetic field radiation meter sold by Applied Magnetics Laboratory Inc., 1404 Bare Hills Road, Baltimore, Md. 21209 under Model No. EMF-931. A telephone call was made on a cellular telephone and it was found that the radiation from either the microphone or earpiece speaker was in the range of about 3-5 milligauss, while the electromagnetic radiation from the antenna was about 50 milligauss.
In view of the above, there is a large public concern that such radiation can cause health risks, such as brain tumors or other ill effects. Although no research has clearly shown these health risks, the concerns still exist. For example, the British government recently launched a package of safety precautions for cellular telephones, including leaflets in which the chief medical officers for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland strongly advise that children under the age of 16 be discouraged from using cellular telephones at all, and if they have to use the handsets, to keep all calls of a short duration. Further, the leaflets advise that, to minimize exposure to radio waves, users keep calls short and consider relative radio wave values when purchasing new cellular telephones.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for reducing radiation from an antenna of a portable telephone that overcomes the problems with the aforementioned prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a device that fits over the antenna of the portable telephone.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a device in which the radiation reducing shield of the device is positioned in partially surrounding relation to the antenna on a side of the antenna which is opposite from the earpiece speaker.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a device for reducing radiation from an antenna of a portable telephone of the type having an earpiece speaker positioned adjacent the antenna, includes a main body having an antenna receiving opening for receiving the antenna of the telephone; a radiation reducing shield mounted to the main body and extending only partially around the main body for reducing electromagnetic radiation from the antenna to a head of a person using the telephone; and indicia on the device for indicating an orientation of the main body on the antenna such that the radiation reducing shield is positioned on a side of the antenna which is opposite from the earpiece speaker.
The main body is made from a material that grips the antenna when the antenna is received in the opening, and preferably includes a closed cell foam rubber material. Specifically, the main body includes an outer body having a bore extending therethrough and an antenna gripping member mounted in the bore of the outer body and having the opening for receiving the antenna therein. The outer body is made from a material having a greater hardness than a material of the antenna gripping member. Preferably, the outer body is made from a neoprene spring rubber material and the antenna gripping member is made from the aforementioned closed cell foam rubber material.
The radiation reducing shield is made from a lead material, and preferably, from an antimonial lead sheet. Preferably, the radiation reducing shield extends around the main body for an arcuate length of about 140 degrees. In such case, the main body has a cylindrical configuration, and the radiation reducing shield has a part cylindrical configuration.
A cover body is provided in surrounding relation to the main body and the radiation reducing shield, the cover body including a cover opening in alignment with the antenna receiving opening. Specifically, the cover body includes an upper cup-shaped half which fits over an upper half of the main body and radiation reducing shield and a lower cup-shaped half which fits over a lower half of the main body and radiation reducing shield, with the lower cup-shaped half having a bottom wall with the cover opening therein. The cover body is preferably made from a PVC material.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a device for reducing radiation from an antenna of a portable telephone of the type having an earpiece speaker positioned adjacent the antenna, includes a main body including an outer body having a bore extending therethrough, and an antenna gripping member mounted in the bore of the outer body and having an antenna receiving opening for receiving the antenna of the telephone therein; a radiation reducing lead shield mounted to the main body and extending only partially around the main body for reducing electromagnetic radiation from the antenna to a head of a person using the telephone; a cover body in surrounding relation to the main body and the radiation reducing shield, the cover body including a cover opening in alignment with the antenna receiving opening; and indicia on the cover body for indicating an orientation of the main body on the antenna such that the radiation reducing shield is positioned on a side of the antenna which is opposite from the earpiece speaker.